ANSI/ESD S11.

4-2012

For the Protection of Electrostatic

Discharge Susceptible Items

Static Control Bags

Electrostatic Discharge Association

7900 Turin Road, Bldg. 3
Rome, NY 13440

An American National Standard

Approved April 24, 2013
 ANSI/ESD S11.4-2012

ESD Association Standard for the

Protection of Electrostatic Discharge
Susceptible Items -

Static Control Bags

Approved September 2, 2012

ESD Association
 ANSI/ESD S11.4-2012

Electrostatic Discharge Association (ESDA) standards and publications are designed to serve the
CAUTION public interest by eliminating misunderstandings between manufacturers and purchasers, facilitating
NOTICE the interchangeability and improvement of products and assisting the purchaser in selecting and
obtaining the proper product for his particular needs. The existence of such standards and
publications shall not in any respect preclude any member or non-member of the Association from
manufacturing or selling products not conforming to such standards and publications. Nor shall the
fact that a standard or a publication that is published by the Association preclude its voluntary use by
non-members of the Association whether the document is to be used either domestically or
internationally. Recommended standards and publications are adopted by the ESDA in accordance
with the ANSI Patent policy.
Interpretation of ESDA Standards: The interpretation of standards in-so-far as it may relate to a
specific product or manufacturer is a proper matter for the individual company concerned and cannot
be undertaken by any person acting for the ESDA. The ESDA Standards Chairman may make
comments limited to an explanation or clarification of the technical language or provisions in a
standard, but not related to its application to specific products and manufacturers. No other person is
authorized to comment on behalf of the ESDA on any ESDA Standard.

THE CONTENTS OF ESDA’S STANDARDS AND PUBLICATIONS ARE PROVIDED “AS-IS,” AND
ESDA MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, OF ANY
DISCLAIMER OF KIND WITH RESPECT TO SUCH CONTENTS. ESDA DISCLAIMS ALL REPRESENTATIONS
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MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE, TITLE AND NON-
INFRINGEMENT.

ESDA STANDARDS AND PUBLICATIONS ARE CONSIDERED TECHNICALLY SOUND AT THE

DISCLAIMER OF TIME THEY ARE APPROVED FOR PUBLICATION. THEY ARE NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR A
PRODUCT SELLER’S OR USER’S OWN JUDGEMENT WITH RESPECT TO ANY PARTICULAR
GUARANTY PRODUCT DISCUSSED, AND ESDA DOES NOT UNDERTAKE TO GUARANTEE THE
PERFORMANCE OF ANY INDIVIDUAL MANUFACTURERS’ PRODUCTS BY VIRTUE OF SUCH
STANDARDS OR PUBLICATIONS. THUS, ESDA EXPRESSLY DISLAIMS ANY RESPONSIBILITY
FOR DAMAGES ARISING FROM THE USE, APPLICATION, OR RELIANCE BY OTHERS ON THE
INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THESE STANDARDS OR PUBLICATIONS.

NEITHER ESDA, NOR ITS MEMBERS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, OR OTHER

REPRESENTATIVES WILL BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF, OR IN CONNECTION
LIMITATION ON WITH, THE USE OR MISUSE OF ESDA STANDARDS OR PUBLICATIONS, EVEN IF ADVISED
ESDA’s LIABILITY OF THE POSSIBILITY THEREOF. THIS IS A COMPREHENSIVE LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
THAT APPLIES TO ALL DAMAGES OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, LOSS
OF DATA, INCOME OR PROFIT, LOSS OF OR DAMAGE TO PROPERTY AND CLAIMS OF
THIRD PARTIES.

Published by:

Electrostatic Discharge Association

7900 Turin Road, Bldg. 3
Rome, NY 13440

Copyright © 2013 by ESD Association

All rights reserved

No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form, in

an electronic retrieval system or otherwise, without the prior
written permission of the publisher.

Printed in the United States of America

ISBN: 1-58537-238-2
 ANSI/ESD S11.4-2012

(This foreword is not part of ESD Association Standard ANSI/ESD S11.4-2012)

FOREWORD
Presently, no industry standard for static control bags exists. While the United States Department
of Defense (DoD) specification MIL-PRF-81705 addresses military static control films, it is
intended for use in specialized military methods of preservation, including exposure to high salt
concentration, transfer at sea, rough handling, and minimal storage conditions. This military
specification is for rolls of film only, and does not address bags. Only the few materials that have
been tested and placed on the DoD qualified products list are considered compliant to MIL-PRF-
81705. This military specification states: “There are no commercial equivalents that meet the
physical, mechanical, and corrosion requirements…”
Since MIL-PRF-81705 is clearly designated for military applications, and requires film
performance specifications that are not necessary for most electronics industry applications, an
industry standard is needed.
This standard1 is intended to establish performance limits for bags that protect electronics from
static and moisture damage during common electronic industry manufacturing and packaging
applications.
This standard was approved on September 2, 2012 and was designated ANSI/ESD S11.4-2012.
At the time ANSI/ESD S11.4-2012 was prepared, the 11.0 Packaging Subcommittee had the
following members:

Brent Beamer, Chair

3M

Kevin Duncan, TAS Rep Kurt Edwards Gene Felder

Seagate Technology Lubrizol Desco Industries, Inc.

Dale Parkin Jeff Salisbury Julius Turangan

Seagate Technology Flextronics Ovation, Inc.

Robert Vermillion Stanley Weitz Craig Zander

RMV Technology Group, LLC Electro-Tech Systems, Inc. Prostat Corporation

The following individuals made a significant contribution to the development of ANSI/ESD S11.4-
2012:
David E. Swenson
Jose Sancho
Affinity Static Control
NASA/Honeywell/TSI
Consulting, LLC

1
ESD Association Standard (S): A precise statement of a set of requirements to be satisfied by a material,
product, system or process that also specifies the procedures for determining whether each of the
requirements is satisfied.

i
ANSI/ESD S11.4-2012

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.0 PURPOSE AND SCOPE......................................................................................................... 1

1.1 PURPOSE ............................................................................................................................. 1

1.2 SCOPE ................................................................................................................................. 1

2.0 REFERENCED PUBLICATIONS ............................................................................................ 1

3.0 DEFINITIONS .......................................................................................................................... 1

4.0 PERSONNEL SAFETY ........................................................................................................... 2

5.0 STATIC CONTROL BAG LEVELS ......................................................................................... 2

6.0 BAG MARKINGS .................................................................................................................... 3

7.0 TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS .............................................................................................. 4

8.0 TESTING INSTRUCTIONS ..................................................................................................... 5

8.1 MOISTURE VAPOR TRANSMISSION RATE (MVTR) ................................................................... 5

8.2 PUNCTURE RESISTANCE ....................................................................................................... 5
8.3 SEAL STRENGTH ................................................................................................................... 5
8.4 THICKNESS ........................................................................................................................... 5
8.5 MARKING ADHESION ............................................................................................................. 6
8.6 TRANSPARENCY.................................................................................................................... 6
8.7 SILICONE .............................................................................................................................. 6

Annexes
Annex A (Informative): Bibliography ................................................................................................ 7

Figures
Figure 1: ESD Protective Symbol ................................................................................................... 4
Figure 2: Moisture Warning Symbol ............................................................................................... 4
Figure 3: Seal Strength Test........................................................................................................... 5

Tables
Table 1: Technical Requirements ................................................................................................... 4

ii
ESD Association Standard ANSI/ESD S11.4-2012

ESD Association Standard for the Protection of Electrostatic Discharge Susceptible Items -
Static Control Bags

1.0 PURPOSE AND SCOPE

1.1 Purpose
This standard establishes performance limits for bags that are intended to protect electronic parts
and products from damage due to static electricity and moisture during common electronic
manufacturing industry transport and storage applications.

1.2 Scope
This standard applies to bags used to package electronic devices and assemblies. It does not
address bags for volatile materials, chemicals, explosives, or munitions.
NOTE: Some bag applications may require the consideration of additional material or cleanliness controls,
including particle level, nonvolatile residue, ionic substances, outgassing, or polycarbonate stress. These
parameters are beyond the scope of this standard.

2.0 REFERENCED PUBLICATIONS

Unless otherwise specified, the following documents of the latest issue, revision or amendment
form a part of this standard to the extent specified herein:
ANSI/ESD S8.1, Symbols – ESD Awareness2
ANSI/ESD STM11.11, Surface Resistance Measurement of Static Dissipative Planar Materials2
ANSI/ESD STM11.31, Bags2
ASTM D882, Tensile Properties of Thin Plastic Sheeting3
ASTM F1249, Standard Test Method for Water Vapor Transmission Rate Through Plastic Film
and Sheeting Using a Modulated Infrared Sensor3
ASTM F 392, Standard Test Method for Flex Durability of Flexible Barrier Materials3
ASTM E168, General Techniques of Infrared Quantitative Analysis3
EMA Test Procedure, Optical Density4
IPC/JEDEC J-STD-033, Handling, Packing, Shipping and Use of Moisture/Reflow Sensitive
Surface Mount Devices5
IPC-TM-650, Test Methods Manual, Adhesion, Tape Testing6
MIL-STD-3010, Testing Procedures for Packaging Materials7

3.0 DEFINITIONS
The terms used in the body of this document are in accordance with the definitions found in ESD
ADV1.0, ESD Association’s Glossary of Terms available for complimentary download at
www.esda.org.

2
ESD Association, 7900 Turin Rd, Bldg. 3, Rome, NY 13440-2069, 315-339-6937
3
American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), 1916 Race Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103-1187,
215-299-5400
4
EMA European Metallizers Association P.O. Box 85612 2508 CH The Hague The Netherlands
www.eurometallizers.org
5
JEDEC Solid State Technology Association 2500 Wilson Boulevard Arlington, VA 22201 Phone
(703) 907-7500
6
IPC 3000 Lakeside Drive, 309 S. Bannockburn, IL 60015 Phone 847-615-7100
7
Department of Defense Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Highway 547, Code 41K000B120-3,
Lakehurst, NJ 08733-5100

1
ANSI/ESD S11.4-2012

4.0 PERSONNEL SAFETY

The procedures and equipment described in this document may expose personnel to hazardous
electrical conditions. Users of this document are responsible for selecting equipment that
complies with applicable laws, regulatory codes, and both external and internal policy. Users are
cautioned that this document cannot replace or supersede any requirements for personnel safety.
Ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI) and other safety protection should be considered
wherever personnel might come into contact with electrical sources.
Electrical hazard reduction practices shall be exercised and proper grounding instructions for
equipment should be followed.
The resistance measurements obtained through the use of this test method shall not be used to
determine the relative safety of personnel exposed to high AC or DC voltages.

5.0 STATIC CONTROL BAG LEVELS

This standard defines five levels of static control bags:

Level 1: Moisture Barrier Bag for Device Packaging

This bag provides the following properties intended to protect ESD and moisture susceptible
items:
 Moisture barrier properties intended to protect items that will be subjected to re-flow soldering,
preventing excess moisture absorption that can lead to device body cracking.
 Electrostatic discharge (ESD) and electric field shielding properties intended to protect
electronic items from electric fields and ESD.
 Low charging properties intended to avoid charge accumulation on or in the bag that could be
damaging to ESD susceptible items.
 Surface resistance properties intended to allow charge to dissipate from the interior or
exterior surface of the bag when the respective surface is grounded.
These bags are typically constructed from metal foil and plastic layers, and contain or are coated
with an antistat agent. Surface resistance properties may differ between interior and exterior
surfaces.

Level 2: Moisture Barrier Bag for General Packaging

This bag provides the following properties intended to protect ESD and moisture susceptible
items:
 Moisture barrier properties intended to protect items that will not be subjected to reflow
soldering.
 ESD and electric field shielding properties intended to protect electronic items from ESD.
 Low charging properties intended to avoid charge accumulation on or in the bag that could be
damaging to ESD susceptible items.
 Surface resistance properties intended to allow charge to dissipate from the interior or
exterior surface of the bag when the respective surface is grounded.
These bags are typically constructed from multiple layers of metalized plastic and contain or are
coated with an antistat agent. Surface resistance properties may differ between interior and
exterior surfaces.

Level 3: Static Shielding Bag

This bag provides the following properties intended to protect ESD susceptible items:
 ESD and electric field shielding properties intended to protect electronic items from ESD.

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 ANSI/ESD S11.4-2012

 Low charging properties intended to avoid charge accumulation on or in the bag that could be
damaging to ESD susceptible items.
 Surface resistance properties intended to allow charge to dissipate from the interior or
exterior surface of the bag when the respective surface is grounded.
Shielding bags are typically constructed from a layer of transparent metalized plastic and plastic
layers, and contain or are coated with an antistat agent. Surface resistance properties may differ
between interior and exterior surfaces.

Level 4: Conductive Bag

This bag provides the following properties intended to protect ESD susceptible items:
 Surface and volume resistance properties intended to allow charge to dissipate from the bag
to ground.
 Electric field shielding properties.
NOTE: Does not provide ESD shielding properties.
Conductive bags are typically constructed from extruded plastic containing conductive materials,
and exhibit the same resistance properties on both interior and exterior surfaces.

Level 5: Static Dissipative Bag

This bag provides the following properties intended to protect ESD susceptible items:
 Low charging properties intended to avoid charge accumulation on or in the bag that could be
damaging to ESD susceptible items.
 Surface resistance properties intended to allow charge to dissipate from the interior or
exterior surface of the bag when the respective surface is grounded.
Dissipative bags are typically constructed from extruded plastic containing or coated with an
antistat agent, and exhibit the same surface resistance properties on both interior and exterior
surfaces.

Caution
The user should evaluate the moisture and ESD susceptibility of the electronic item or assembly
and confirm that the bag technical requirements set by this standard are appropriate for the
application.

6.0 BAG MARKINGS

Level 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 bags shall be marked with the ESD Protective Symbol as defined by
ANSI/ESD S8.1.

Level 1 and 2 bags shall be marked with the moisture sensitive identification symbol shown in
Figure 2 or as defined by IPC/JEDEC J-STD-033.

Level 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 bags should be marked with the word “Level” and the appropriate level
number; for example, a shielding bag would be marked “Level 3”.

All bags should be marked with information that allows traceability to the packaging manufacturer
and to the manufacturer’s date / lot code information.

3
 ANSI/ESD S11.4-2012

Figure 1: Figure 2:
ESD Protective Moisture Warning
Symbol Symbol

7.0 TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

The technical requirements shown in Table 1 are the required limits for bags.

Table 1. Technical Requirements

Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5
Test
Technical Moisture Moisture Static
Properties Static Conductive Units Method and
Requirement Barrier Barrier Dissipative
Shielding Bag Instructions
Bag Bag Bag
Moisture ASTM
Vapor Not Not Not grams/100 F1249
<0.002 <0.02
Transmission Applicable Applicable Applicable in2/day
Rate (MVTR) See 8.1
MIL-STD-
Puncture 3010
>15 >15 >8 >5 >5 pounds
Resistance Method 2065
See 8.2
pounds per ASTM D882
Seal Strength >12 >12 >8 >5 >5
inch See 8.3
Physical
MIL-STD-
3010
Thickness >0.004 >0.003 >0.002 >0.002 >0.002 inches
Method 1003
See 8.4
IPC-TM-650
Marking Marking Marking Marking Marking Marking
visual 2.4.1
Adhesion Legible Legible Legible Legible Legible
See 8.5
EMA Optical
Not Not Not
Transparency 30 to 50 70 to 100 percent Density
Applicable Applicable Applicable
See 8.6
ESD Not Not ANSI/ESD
< 20 < 20 < 20 nanoJoule
Shielding Applicable Applicable STM11.31
Surface < 1.0x1011 < 1.0x1011 < 1.0x1011 < 1.0x1011
ANSI/ESD
Resistance - and and and < 1.0x104 and ohms
Electrical STM11.11
Interior > 1.0x104 > 1.0x104 > 1.0x104 > 1.0x104
11
Surface < 1.0x10
11 11 11 4 ANSI/ESD
Resistance - < 1.0x10 < 1.0x10 < 1.0x10 < 1.0x10 and ohms
STM11.11
Exterior > 1.0x104
Not Not Not Not Not
Cleanliness Silicone -- See 8.7
Detected Detected Detected Detected Detected

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 ANSI/ESD S11.4-2012

8.0 TESTING INSTRUCTIONS

These instructions are intended to define or clarify the testing process. If there is a difference
between the testing method and this standard, this standard shall be used.

8.1 Moisture Vapor Transmission Rate (MVTR)

Measure the MVTR using ASTM F1249 at 37.7 C (100 F) and 100% RH.
Level 1 bags will be flexed per condition “E” of ASTM F 392 prior MVTR testing.
Level 2 bags will not be flexed prior to MVTR testing.

8.2 Puncture Resistance

Measure the puncture resistance using MIL-STD-3010 test method 2065.
Test six specimens. The heat sealable surface shall face the probe. The crosshead speed shall
be 20 inches per minute.

Figure 3: Seal Strength Test

8.3 Seal Strength

Measure the seal strength using Method A of ASTM D882.
Test six specimens. The specimen shall be cut from production bags and be 1 inch in width.
Place the specimen into the clamps and separate the clamps at 2 inches per minute until the seal
or material is separated. Record the maximum force. Report the average of the six values. See
Figure 3.

8.4 Thickness
Measure the thickness using MIL-STD-3010 test method 1003 method B. Measure the thickness
of one side (layer) of the bag. Make 6 measurements. Report the average thickness to the
nearest 0.001 of an inch.

5
ANSI/ESD S11.4-2012

8.5 Marking Adhesion

The adhesion of the factory-applied marking to the bag will be evaluated using IPC-TM-650 Test
Method 2.4.1. The marking shall remain visible and legible after tape removal.

8.6 Transparency
Measure the optical density using an optical densitometer (Tobias Associates TBX-MC or
equivalent) per European Metallizers Association (EMA) Technical Committee Films Optical
Density Test procedure Rev 1. Make one measurement of one side (layer) of six bags. Convert
the optical density value to percent transmission using the equipment instructions. Report the
average of the six measurements.

8.7 Silicone
Compare spectrum from the bag interior and exterior with that of silicone, using ASTM E168. The
absorbance bands should not match, indicating that silicone is not present.

6
 ANSI/ESD S11.4-2012

(This annex is not part of ESD Association Standard ANSI/ESD S11.4-2012)

ANNEX A (INFORMATIVE) – BIBLIOGRAPHY

MIL-PRF-81705, Barrier Materials, Flexible, Electrostatic Discharge Protective, Heat-Sealable
ANSI/ESD STM11.12, Volume Resistance Measurements of Static Dissipative Planar Materials

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